Guest Post by David Hudson, Board of Trustees President

There’s a great quote from basketball legend Michael Jordan about expectations. He says, “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”

Well, as I’ve listened to you, I have heard a lot of your expectations for this church. As your President, I have the unique opportunity to be in the room as you share your hopes and dreams for this community. It is, I think, one of the best things about the job.

It is a wonderful treat to be part of this church family that has done so much over the years, but feels like it is just getting started. I see the time, the care, and the love you bring to this place. There are signs of your generosity everywhere.

We are doing more, more together, than ever before. I see new programs and new opportunities. I see new experiments in RE and in worship. I see more familiar faces on Sunday mornings and I see more newcomers. We are beginning to expect more of ourselves, and as Michael Jordan suggested, that’s the first step.

The next step involves more of the same. We must continue to invest our time, our passion, and our money into this beloved community. Those are the three legs of the stool that support this institution. It is not enough to simply bring our best selves and volunteer when we can. We must also be willing to support it financially.

I expect some of us are leery of this money talk. We may have been raised to avoid discussing the subject. Others may have fled from churches where the story seemed to always be about the money, and any mention of it reminds them of that pressure. And, there are always those of us for whom money is a too rare commodity.

Whatever the reason, we have shied away from talking more deeply about money for too long. We do not need to break personal taboos, or talk about it all the time, or ever expect more than one can give, but we must reset our expectations. Money is one of the things this church needs to fund its operations and its programs. We cannot be bashful in talking about what we need to meet our other expectations.

So here’s a new expectation I’d like to set for us. Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a way to overcome that involuntary, mental flinch when the subject of money comes up around here? I want us to realize that money is part of our path forward, and cease being afraid of the topic.

I want to be clear. Money should never be a requirement to participate in this community, nor are we ever asking for more than anyone can safely share. The hope is simply this, that we remember that financial contributions are a part of the story.

For those of you whose financial generosity has led the way, we thank you. For the rest, I think it’s about time we start expecting as much fiscal courage around here as we do every other kind of generosity. Like time and passion—if we all give, as we are able, there is nothing we cannot do.